Circular knitting machine



nFam. B2, i932. A. E. PAGE ET AL. 1,841,205

. CIRCULAR lKNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 12, 1929 7 Sheets-Sheet l ALBERT LPAGC FRANK R. PAGE Jan. E2, i932. A. E. PAGE ET AL 1,841,205

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE y original Filed sept. 12. 1929 'r sheets-Sheer 2 I INVENToRs l ALBERT LPAGE i FRANK R. PAGE Ich 5.5/ iezr aZZar-neys Jan. l2, 1932. C A. E. PAGE ET AL l 1,841,205

' CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE y Original Filed Sept. l2. 1929 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS ALBERT LPAGE FRANK R. PAGE Jan. 12, 1932. A. E. PAGE ET Al. 1,841,205

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. l2, 1929 T Sheets-Sheet 4 e* um "im uw" qFan. i2, i932.

Original FiledI Sept. l2, 1929 Tigra.

A. E. PAGE ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE I if 357 @ifa '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 fa/ ,gf d@ Ficil INVENTORS ALBERT E. PAGE FRANK R. PAGE MMM Jan. i12,l 1932.

A. E. PAGE ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE original Filed sept. 12, 1929 Tcl 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Jan. l2, 1932. A. E. PAGE ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. l2, 1929 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTORS ALBERT E. PAGE FRANK R- PAGE Patented'Jan. 1,2, 1932 UNITI-:D STATES PATENT i ol-Flc-E sco'rr a'wILLmns, mc.,

Animar E. PAGE aim-rmx n. nnen or BnooxLYN, New Yon'x.- Assrenons ro or NEW von; N. ma conroaarlon or nssacnusms cmcULAn nimma Hmmm;

applicationmed septemer is, 1929, serielle. 392,118. neeweamy' 7, i931.

I This invention has to do with automatic knitting machines of the revolving'needle cylindertype. Its particular concern is with a machine for making a stocking with gussets between narrowed and widened portlons of the fabric such as the toe. The'embodiment of it that -is described and shown here is one ofwhich an automatic machine of the type l shown inthe Robert W. AScott Patent Number 1,152,850, Sept. 7, 1915, -formsthe basis,

but that is modied and supplemented in cer-v tain respects tomake it capablev of knitting automatically. a stocking such as that de- .scribed and claimed in the patent'of John M.

illustrate one way of makingvthis stocking j automatically, there is given here a descrip;

tion of an arrangement of needles with-butts of 'diiferent lengths, a special set of camsfor acting on these butts to raise; and lower the;

-needlesin relation to the active knitting level,

`and three series ofcams on 'the usual pattern drum, these series being properly related to govern the action of thesaid special needle cams,- tog'ether with'a, mechanism making it possible to knit a seamless, toe/pocket on the opposite side of the circle of needles from the heel pocket.

In the accompanyingldrawin i i Fig. 1 is a plan view of the-headpf a cir-eu;

lar knittingv machine showing the arrangement of theneedlesin y by the lengths 'of their utts, and the needle cams for acting on .these butts, that are added in vaccordance with this'invention.

The knittin cams are omitted.

ig. 2 isa view in side elevation from 'the front ofthe knitting head shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view -in elevation ofthe mechanism for movingtwo" of the .needle cams in andout'of their respectiveactive positions,

this mechanismbeing a part of that shown" in Figures and 2,

Fig. 4 1s a v1ew similar Figi-2 and ofthe same parts butshowing the -needle-camoperating mechanism ofFig. 3 with itsparts in a different position from that depicted 111 Figures 1 ,.2 and-3.

Flg. 5 1s a vlew of the.mechanism shown rin but from the opposite side, the parts lugs that control the'.

Aoups ldilferentiated1 being in .theposition partially shown in-Figure Y F ig. 6 is a view in elevation of the knitting head shown in Fig. 1 but from the left side of the machine, T Fig. 7 .isa view of the Apattern drum showing '1n elevation the three series of cam ial needle cams, together with the levers which transmit motion from .the lugsl to the said Figures 9, 10 and 11 are separate developments of the three seriesof cam lugs on the needle cams, these views being so related that thelevers actedV on by the cam lugs, as well as thecam lugs that actsimultaneouslyvappear on the sheet vertically in line with one anl i needle cams, thisA vlew being supplementary to Fig.6, Fig; 8 is a development of the knitting camsand the special needle cams showing their relative heights and positions, Allen, No. 1,754,185, dated April 8,1930. To i `main pattern drum that control thespecial other. The arrows indicate the direction of movement of the cams."

Fig. 12 is an illustration of the foot o'- be made on` the machine y stocking that may described herein, f A v Fig. 13 is a front view in elevation of the .clutch and driving mechanism of a circular knitting machine, designed to eiect an ad'- vance of the cylinder with respect tothe time of the pattern chain when the chan from reciprocatory to rotary knitting at the end'of the heel and toe, Y

-Fig. 14 vis aview in elevation, from theV right, of a part of the driving mechanism shown in Figure 13, certain of the'parts'belllg broken away to revealothe'rparts behind trem.

Thestock-ing,^mentioned above and-- shown i'nFig. 12,` which may be made automatically -by the machine described inthlis specification, f

is characterized principally ,by having a gusis 'made set on each'side of the toe-pocket between the i narrowed and widened segments. In order to simplify the 'description here, the heel pocket A is shown asbe'i-no' made 'on' half of the -needles andthe reinforced part S of the foot 4likewiseextends halfway around the tube of fabric. Other formations however may be used, for instance, a reduced heel made in esv ' C on the top of the foot and the widened seg' ment D on the bottom, both being non-tubular and made by a reciprocatory movement' of the needle cylinder. The looping line is at the bottom of the foot. The narrowing begins on the top of the foot at the course indicated by the point E and continues forward to the point F.r gusset G is formed between the narrowed segment and the widened segment and at'its inner end H each gussetis tapered. The reinforcing is begun at the course indicated by the letter .J and continues through the forward part of the narrowed segment and throughout the widened segment D to the loopers rounds L, which are made by round and round knitting.

Three types of needles are used ,in the illustration of the invention shown here (see Fig. 1). A full half of the needles have short butts and are designated by the reference letter N. The other half is in five groups, including a small group N2 with intermediate length butts at one end of the half circle of short-butt needles N and a like number of the needles having the same intermediate length butts forming the group N3 at the other end of the short butt group N. The larger groups N* and N5 have equal numbers of needles with long butts and are located between the groups N2 and N3 on either side of the small central group N6 which is made up of needles with butts of the same length as those in the groups N2 and N3. Thus the group N6 is flanked on both sides bygroups whose butts are longer than those of the N6 group. An arrangement which is suitable for a machine having 300 needles is that in which there are 150 short butt needles .in the group N, 19 in eachy of the groups Nz and N3, 45 in each group of the long butt groups N, and N5 and 22 in the mid-group N8.

The location of the looping line on the bottom of the foot means that the toe pocket v is knit on the opposite side of the fabric tube from the heel pocket. It therefore is knit on a different group of needles. In the present instance, the heel pocket is knit on the needles of the short butt grou N and the toe pocket on the needles of the ve groups N2 6 making up the other half. If a reduced heel made according to the above-mentioned Scott patent were desired, the short butt group N would be sub-divided into groups differentiated by the lengths of their butts but nevertheless all would be of a shorter butt length than the groups of the opposite half of the circle.

In circular knitting machines as they are now built the pattern chain, which is the timing device determining when eachv operation shall occur, moves at regular intervals,`each correspondingl to a number of full courses.

Asired to knit the toe This chain times the change from round and round to reciprocating knitting for both the heel and the toe pockets, hence normally the change into the toe comes an exact number of complete revolutions after the heel and the same needles are put out of activity at both times and the same needles knit both pockets.' In the present machine it is deocket on the set of needles opposite from the group N that knits the heel, and therefore the cylinder is shifted one-half a revolution with respect to the pattern chain at some point between the heel and the toe. Preferably this shift is an advance of the cylinder over the chain and is done while the machine isrunning by means of the arrangement shown and -claimed in the application of Albert E. Page, Serial No. 246,243 hereinafter with reference in particular to Figures 13 and 14. The result of this advance may be summed u by saying that any' filed Jan. 12, 1928, and described needles described above, may be outlined? as follows. The heel is knit in the usual way by narrowing and widening during reciprocatory movements of the needle cylinder, the needles of the low butt grou N' being active. The advance of the c lin er preferably is made while changin rom reclprocatory to round and round knitting at the end of the heel in order to save strain on the machine. It could be made when changing into the toe or during the knitting of the foot. The toe istherefore knit on the needles of the groups N2 to N", the group of short butt needles N being raised to the inactive level at the end of the instep by a cam that engages their butts, the other needles having been put previously at a level at which their butts pass 4under this raising cam.- Narrowing by thev pickers begins at once and continues until all of the needles except those of the group Na are inactive. Thereupon the roups N* and N5 are restored as groups to t e active level by cams under the control of the pattern drum, so that the gusset courses can be knit. The narrowing at the inner end H of the gusset is brought about by the regular narrowing pickers which act on the end needles of these two groups. When the gusset courses are completed, the remaining active needles of the groups N4 and N5 are raised to the inactive level by pattern controlled means (also to be described herein). Then widening is begun by putting the usual widening picker v-into operation, the needles of the groups Nand N being brought down irst and then the needles of the groups Nl and Ns -until on the last course all of the needles in Followf that half of the circle are active. ing that, the short buttneedles -N are lowered by a cam so that the full circle'of needles are in position 'to knit theloopers rounds.

l The med/Ze' cams The cams which raise and lower the needles, are shown diagrammatically in Figure 8, the

arrow. indicating the direction in which the needles move during round and round knitting. There are the usual upper center cam 357 and lower center cam 35.6 below the -throatplateI 559, and the two side stitch cams bracket 800. This lever 809 has an adjust- "5 able contact screw 811 at its upper end inl 360, 361 `below and at either side'of the twocenter cams. The other instruments for raising and lowering the needles are the usual twolifting or narrowing pickers 6 50 and a Wideningor lowering picker 680. Theseare the same asthose described -in the Scott Patent 1,152,850' and are identified here by the same numbers as in that patent.

In addition there'are other cams to act 0n the needles for the special purposes under concern here. lThese other cams are moved towardand away-from the needle cylinderby lever systems extending to the usual mam vpattern drum 120 where they are acted on by three sets or paths of cams suitably related to one another and to the other 'cams on the pattern drumv to control these needle cams in timedrelation to the other knitting opera-` tions. i

cam 24 and the raising cam 25 occupy -the position and do the work of the usual swltch cam andtheflatter has a special function relation to the making of the toe gussets G. These two cams (see Figs. -1 to- 6 inclusive) are formed on the inner ends of two plungers 801, 803, which slide horizontally in a Vbracket 800 on the bedplate' B. The plunger 801,-

which carries the lowering cam 24 normally is held away from the needle cylinder by aspring 802 tensioned between the cam and the outer end of the bracket 800. 'The plunger 803 which carries the raisingcam V25 is urged outwardly in a similar manner by a tension spring 804.

These lowering and raising cams 24, 25 are controlled from a lsingle gravity rod 216. 55.

Forthis-purpose there are two sets of levers at the outer side of the bracket 800 which transmit the movementsof the gravity rod to the cam plunge'rs. One ofthe levers -for the lowering cam 24l is a bell crank 805 which has one arm 806-extending'horizontally and another 807 vertically, the latter being toothed vto engage the teeth 808 on the lower end of a lever .809 pivoted on a stud 810 on Vthe Of these special needle cams, the' lowering vengagement with the outer end'of the plunger 801 of the lowering cam 24. The stud 810 also provides a pivotal mounting for a bell crank lever 812 which has a hooked arm 813 extending upwardl and outwardly with a screw'815 therein a apted to rest against the plunger 803 ofthe raising cam 2 5. An extension 814 of the hooked arm 813 underlies a part of thebracket 800 which serves as la stop limiting the downward swing of the hooked arm. v

The lowerend of the vertical gravity rod 216 is connected to a controlling lever 215 (Fig. 7) pivoted on a fixed stud on the frame of the machine, and engaging the main pattern -drum 120 in the'path of a series' 511 of' cam lugssubsequently described in detail (Fig.- 10). The upper end ,of the gravity rod 216 carries .the usual collar above the lbed,

plate B and -from this collar extends' a pin 8.16' which lies between the hooked arm' 813 and the arm 806 to operate the raising and lowering cams 24, 25. The movement of the rod 216 caused by theseries-511 of lu'gs is such as to lift the pin 816 from its lowest pos1tion,in which it holdsthe lever 806 down far enough to-move the lowering cam '24 into contact with theneedle butts, up through an intermediate position clear of both arms to.

raisedv by vertical movement ofthe gravity' rod, engages and lifts the usual Alever 690 which causes the widening picker 680 tobe lowered. For reasons which will appear as the description proceeds, it is undesirable to lower the picker-as would otherwise V-happenbelow its upper -normal inoperative levelwhen the gravity rod is raised to put the cam 25 in the path of the needle butts. It is desirable however to have the f'picker lowered to its inoperative level when the gravity rod is at the intermediate level where the pin 816 is clear of both the arms 806 and 812. A special stop is provided, therefore,

-limiting the height to which the head of the plunger 818 can rise. This stop is a-finger- '821 (Fig. 6) secured to the bracket 400f'so that its lower end meets the plunger' 818. at 'thevdesired maximum level for the lever 690, Further rise ofthe rodl 216 merely causes the stud 817 -'to ride up on the plunger 717 compressing the spring 819. A

Another of the special cams is a lowering cam 26 mounted on a bracket 830 on the bedplate B between the bracket 800 just described and the Y knitting cams beneath the usual throat plate 559. This cam 26 isadapted to render the group of needles N5 active as a group after the narrowing in the toe. The bracket 830 may also and preferably does serve as the base for certain other needle cams such as those shown in the Robert W. Scott Patent 1,282,958 dated October 29, 1918 and the same levers may be used to control these other cams. This invention is not concerned with such cams and therefore they are not shown or described here. The cam 26 itself is the inner end of a fiat plate 831 held on the upper surface of the bracket 830 by a clamp plate 832 which however permits the cam plate 831 to move and has a stud pin 833 extending into a hole in the said plate to form a pivot therefor. The extent to which the cam plate may swing toward the needles is determined by an eccentric washer 834 that is held by a screw 835 and lies in the path of a lug 836 on the cam plate. A variation of the limit of swing is brought about by turning the eccentric washer 834.

The movement of the cam 26 toward and away from the needles is brought about by a lever 826 pivotcd on the bed plate to swing in a horizontal plane. At its forward end, this lever 826 has an upright lug 837 through which a wire 838, connected to the plate 831, extends. A spring 839, around this wire and fixed at its end near the plate 831, bears at its outer end against the lug 837 urging the latter against a nut 840 on the outer end of the wire, or in other words. tending to move the wire in toward the needles whenever the pivoted lever 826 swings so as to move the lug 837 in that direction. The rear end of the lever 826 has an edge 841 that engages the' rear face of the cam 842 on the upper end of a thrust rod 463. The latter rests on theJ main pattern drum in the path of the series 513 of the cam lugs (Fio'. 11). When on the face of the drum, the roc 463 puts the pivoted lever 826 in such a position that the cam 26 is held clear of the needle butts; and when raised by a lug on the main drum, the rod 463 moves the lever 826 to such a position that the cam 26 is in the path of the needles with long butts.

On the opposite side of the cylinder from the cam 26, and therefore beyond the knitting cams in the direction of round and round knitting, are special lowering cams 27 and 28 and a special raising cam 29. The two lowering cams are formed as separate plates and both are secured to the upright portion 850 of an arm 851 that is mounted on a stud 852 in a. way that allows the arm to swing horizontally. The two lowering cams are spaced apart to permit passage of needle butts. Cam 28 is employed to lower the group of needles N4L to active position when starting the toe gusset G. The-raising cam 29 is secured to a similar portion of the arm 853 of a lever 854 having a base 855 pivoted on the bedplate. To enable all three cams to be operated from one control there is an extension 856, of the lever 854, on the opposite side of the pivot point from the arm 853 and this extension has jaws 857 which straddle a pin 858. This pin depends from a lug 859 on the arm 851 that carries the lowering cams 27, 28 (Fig. 1). An outward arm 860 of this same lever 854 is engaged by a horizontal wire 861 that is joined to a bell crank lever 862 extending to the main pattern drum 120. A spring 863 fixed at its other end to a screw in the bedplate B tensions the arm 860 away from the bell crank lever 862 and the rear of the machine. The bell crank lever 862 is pivoted on the stud 450 above the main pattern drum 120 (Fig. 7). The lower end of this 'lever 862 rests on the drum 120 in the path of a series 512 of camlugs which will be described further on (Fig. 9).

The mechanism controlling the special needle cams As mentioned above, the special needle ycams 24 to 29 are moved to and from positions in which they engage the needle butts by means of levers actuated by lugs on the main pattern drum 120. This drum is the usual one and is racked around at irregular intervals by a mechanism not fully shown here but disclosed in the well known Robert W. Scott Patent 1,152,850. Only three series of lugs are represented in the drawings as they alone the lattergoccupy relative to the lugs at a given moment in the rotation of the drum. To make it possible to see at a glance which lugs in the three series are acting on the respective levers at any instant; Figures 9, 10 and 11 are not made as similar developments, all starting from the same oint on the drum, but are made to show the t ree series of lugs in the relative positions which they would occupy if the three levers 862, 215 and 463 engage the drum along a single line parallel to the drum axis. The levers could be so arranged but it is more convenient to mount them as shown in Figure 7.

The series 511 of cam lugs (Fig. 10) -acts on the lever 215 which in turn raises and lowers the gravity rod 216, moving the widening picker 680 and the regular lowering cam 24 and the regular raising cam 25 to and from their working positions. The lugs of this series are of live heights and thus, considering also that the face of the drum is equivaputs the pin 816 at such la levell (Figures 2 ly, with the result that the arm 809 is turned about the stud 810. This moves the plunger.'

801 with the lowering cam 24 in toward the needles to a point where the cam can engage cam 25 and the widening picker are not affected in this lowest position of the rod 216 and'theyrem'ain respectively retracted and in itshighest'position.`

A lug of the lowest height in the series 511 (e. g. 511e, 5115) raises the gravity rod to a' height at which the pin 816 allows the plunger 801 and the cam 24 to Abe retracted by the spring 802. This level is not high enough .however to lift the hooked arm 813 or t0 cause the arm 218 with the plunger 818 to lift the lever 690. This then may be termed the neutral position aof the pin 816. Thenext higher (e. g. 511", 5116)'lug lifts the rod 216 to a level where the lever 690 is lifted by the plunger 818, thus lowering thewidening pick to its inoperative position below Vthe level of the butts of the raised or inactive needles. At-

this level, the pin 816 still ,does not llft the hooked-arm 813. The next three heights of lugs of the series-have the same eect insofar as selection of the4 cam to be active is concerned but they differ inthe degree of that effect. They all raise the rod 216 to a level at which the pin 816 tilts the .lever 813 to push the plunger 803 with the raising cam 25 toward the needles. One of these high lugs (e. g. 511f) puts thecam 25 in posltion l engage only the long butts of the needles 1n groups N4 and N5 while another height (511) of high lug causes it also to .enga e the butts of intermediate length (needles 2 Ns Nt). This highest lug (5116) .in this series' puts theraising cam 25 in toa. point where it can engage the butts of all the needles in the machine. 4

The lowering cam 26 is controlled by the levers fromthe series of lugs, 513. In this same series it is possibleto place'the lugs for controlling such other special cams as those shown in the Scott Patent 1,282,958 for use during the knitting of the upper part of a stocking, in particular in connection with the transfer of the welt and the making of start-up and anti-runfback c'ourses. Such cams are mounted inthe region of the cam 26 and are controlled by the thrust rod 463 Qand the pi'voted lever 826.

' The special lowering cams'l27, 28 and the land 3) thatit swings the arm 806 downwardthe butts of all needles (see Figure 1). The

the other positions.

special raising cam 29 are moved 4alternately into operative position by the series 512 havmg lugs of two heights which with the A the cam 29 is clear of the needles and the jaws 857 onthe opposite arm 856, by their engagement with the depending pin 858,' hold the other swinging bracket 851, with the cams 27, 28 away from the needles. vW'hen thelever 862v is dropped to the. drumface, it

'moves the wire 861 forward thus swinging` fthe bracket 854 with the result that the arm .853 with the cam 29 is moved toward the needles enabling the cam toact on the needle butts. A high lug of the series 512 coming under the lever `862 has the o posite eifect. It draws the wire 861 back iiiom the mid position against the effort ofthe spring 863 which, it may be noted, exerts no force in The swing ofthe bracket 854 attendant upon this causes the other bracket-851 with vthe cams 27,. 28 to move in toward the needles'due to the fact that the jaws 857 carry the pin 858 1n w1th them as the arm 856 moves in that direction.

The .cylinder ladvancing mechanism to cause the heel and toe pockets to be knit on opposite sides of the circle ofV needles is here shown and .described embodied in the usual v Scott & Williams type of .revolving needle cylinder hosiery machine. In this machine the needle cylinder 260 is. driven from vthe main drive shaft 32 by means of the main bevel gear 31. Motion is communicated to the main drive shaft by a clutch collar 33 splined on the main drive shaft and having a tenon 331. The clutch engages the reciprocating mechanism when its tenon -dovetails -with the left clutch pinion 35, and with the rotary mechanism when it engages the face 37 of the right clutch pinion 38.

Whenthe needle cylinder is to make ro ndand-round knitting, the clutch-collar 3 3 1s to the right with its tenon 331 engaged in a notch in the face 37 of the right clutch pin-v ion 38. This ri ht clutch pinion 38is unitary with a hollow sleeve '39 lon'which the driving pulley 42 is mounted. If it is desired torevolvethe machine at a diil'erent hollow sleeve, isconnectedv by. a train of gears to the right clutch -pinion 38. This train of gears comprises a high speed driving pinion 49 revolvingwith the pulley 47 and av high speedgear 65 meshing with the pinion 49. This high speed gear or Vplate gear 65 is carried just outsidethe frame F of v the machinelon the shaft 55, and on the other end of the shaft, just inside the frame of the machine, is 4a quadrant driving gear 60- motion to the quadrant. It will be observed.

' that the speed of the right clutch pinion 38 y cate the needle cylinder, the power from the s pulley is transmitted through the hollow is always the same relatively to the average' speed of the left clutch pinion 35 and, in the machine shown in the drawings, the gears are so made that the right clutch pinion 38 will make four revolutions while the quadrant 75 is completing one cycle of movement, i. e., one complete stroke in each direction. Assuming that the pulley 42 is used to reciprosleeve 39, the right clutch pinion 38, quadrant driving gear 60, pitman and quadrant to the left clutch pinion 35 where the clutch collar 38 transmits the reciprocatory motion to the main drive shaft 32.

The mechanism used for shifting the clutch collar 33 from one clutch pinion to the other will now be described. This comprises a clutch fork 92 gripping the collar by a peripheral groove and slidably mounted on the machine by a, fixed rod 93. There is a clutch cam drum 90 located directly underneath the clutch fork 92 and having a grooved cam path on its circumference. The fork is shifted from left to right by means of a stud 89 on the clutch fork lying in the cam path. This cam drum 90 is racked around under the control of the pattern chain 95 by mechanism which will now be described.

Turning in unison with this clutch drum 90v is a main rack wheel 81 having teeth on its circumference at irregular intervals. This main rack wheel and the clutch drum 90 are fixed tightly on the pattern drum shaft 80. Revolving loosely on this shaft 1s the sprocket wheel 84 carrying the pattern chain 85 and a chain rack wheel 86. fastened to the sprocket wheel 84.

The pattern chain 85 is racked around at regular intervals from the quadrant 75. Thls racking of the pattern chain and the quadrant is 'obtained by means of a pawl 87 on the quadrant acting on the pattern chain rack wheel 86. Since the quadrant always moves in definite timed relation to the right clutch pinion 38 and the shaft 55, it follows that the pattern chain is always racked around at the same speed relatively to the driving pulleywhichever pulleyis ,d oing the driving. Since the round-and-round movement of the needle cylinder is always obtained from the right clutch pinion 38 and the quadrant is driven from that pinion, the pattern chain is always racked at the same speed relatively to the round-and-round movement of the needle cylinder. The to-and-fro movements of the needle cylinder, being obtained through the quadrant 75, also bear a fixedV timed relation to the racking of the attern chain, although 35 is turned once in each direction, each revolution of this pinion therefore being equal in duration to two complete revolutions of the needle cylinder durin round-and-round knitting. In other wor s the average speed of the left hand pinion 35 during one turn is half the speed of the right hand pinion 38. Therefore relatively to the pattern chain the angular speed of the needle cylinder during round-and-round knittin is twice as great as its average angular spee during each stroke in reciprocatory knitting.

In the example of the invention shown in the drawings the shiftin from round-andround to reciprocating knitting is unchanged as far as concerns the clutch and quadrant. The chain pawl 87 n racking the pattern chain 85 around brings the lugs on the chain under a pawl controllery 83-mounted`on the xed rod 93. This pawl controller has a nger 830 underlying the main pawl 82 carried by the quadrant 75, the pawl being adapted to engage the teeth of the main rack wheel 81. This linger 83o is so positioned as to hold the main pawl 82 out of engagement with the main rack wheel 81 exceptwhen the pawl controller is tipped by a lug on the pattern chain. By these means the main rack Wheel 81 and the clutch drum 90 can be racked forward Whenever desired under control of the pawl controller. The chain pawl 87 and the main pawl 82 are ordinarily moving `in opposite directions (Fig. 14) The two pawls are mounted on the quadrant in such a relation and the cams on the surface of the clutch drum 90 are so located that the clutch drum ordinarily forces the clutch collar 33 from engagement with the clutch pinion face 37 to the clutch pinion 35, or vice versa, when the quadrant 75 is in the'middle of its downward stroke. At this moment the pinions 35 and 38 are revolving inf' the same direction and at the same speed/'and the pinion 38 has just brought the tenen 331 into sufficient register with the groove in the face of the pinion 35 to permit the shifting of the clutch to be made easily. .Similarly when shiftingl from reciprocatory to rotary knitting the two plnions are both revolving in the same direction when the shift is made.

i that is it is in the same direction as the motion As a consequence of thearrangement just' described, it may be noted that, when the machine is shifting from to-and-fro knitting to round-and-round knitting, the direction of the last stroke of the cylinder transmitted through thequadrant is aforward stroke,

ofthe needle cylinder during rotary knitting. A

vSince the average circumferential speedof the needle cylinder during reciprocation 'is half the speed Aduringrotary knitting, andA since shifting ofthe clutch does not affect the speed with which the patternchain is' racked, it follows that if,'when changing from reciprocatory to rotary knitting, the clutch is shifted into engagement with. the right clutch face 37 at the beginning of the last stroke, rat-her than at the middle of that A stroke as usual, thegneedle cylinder will be running atthe higher speed of rotary knitting for the whole of that-last strokel instead of for half of it, hence for a larger pro v portion of the total number of drive pulley 'mitted' Aby the revolutions or quadrant reciprocations preattern chain for any given y stocking. As a ove explained, the quadrant by the quadrant during the movement of the latter from its upperfto its half-way-down mposition. This gives the necessary advance of vthe needle cylinder for the-purpose of knitting the toe on the lopposite side of the stocking from the heel, and by making the same change "in timel of shifting, the clutch when coming off thetoe,..the machine will be brought around again to the for making the heel.

jIn order to carry .out this shifting of the clutch sooner than usual when going olf the proper position heel and toe, there is a mechanism other-than the 'usual pawl 82, this mechanism being adapted toA rack the cam drum 90 and the main racking wheel 81 slightly sooner than the lpawl-82 would do Yit and in a manner which does not disturb the Vpattern'chainin any way. This mechanism involves an' auxil- :ary hook' pawl. 116 -controlledby a cam 119 on theplate gear 65 givingthe shaft 80a short turn suliicientto shift the clutch shifter fork 92 but without completing' the rack for the ordinary change from reciprocatory round-and-round knitting or vice versa as v the case may be. In order to accomplish thisthe cams on th'esurface of the clutch drum 90 which cause the fork to shift'over; are advanced slightlyon the surface ofthe drum."

inder, narrowin The 'early racking of the main rack wheel 81 is caused by the4 cam 119 on the sideof v the gear 65, vengaging one arm of a bell crank lever 118 pivoted' on the pattern drum shaft' 6. The other arm of that bell crank lever carries the hook -pawl 116 adapted to engage one of two teeth 117 mounted o n the circumferenceof the beltshifter drum. 102.

This belt shifter drum is fast on the pattern chain shaft 80, Vhen the cam on the gear hits the bell crank lever the auxiliary pawl will giveV the shaft 80-and thecam drum-90 a short rack whenever the racking. of the main rackwheel has brought the c-am on the belt shifter drum within reach of the pawl.

One of the teeth on the belt shifter drum is for going off the heel and the other for going off the toe. {The pawl 116 is held in contact with the surface of the belt shifter drum by a tension spring 116a. i

Operation In the round-an-d-round knitting of the leg above the heel, the special vneedle cams are held out clear of the butts. At this time the lever 862 controlling the -twin lowering cams-27, 281 and the raising cam`29 rests on the long low cam lug 512e, andthe lever 215 for the gravity rod 216 that moves the Widening picker and the lowering and raising cams 24, 25 rests on the drum face 120, as does the lever 463 controlling the lowerin cam 26.

To start the heel, the pattern c a-in acting through the pawl '82, causes the clutch 33 to shift so that theneedle cylinder is driven from the quadrant 75 through the pinion' 35.

At the same rack the pattern drum puts the cam lug 511ill beneath the lever 215 causingA the raising cam 25 to be moved into the position in which it engages the long and intermediate butts to raise all of the needles-in the half circle made up of the groups N2 to N. The position of the rod 216 determined by the lug 511.a is that in whichthe plunger 818 holds the lever 690 up, putting the widenng'picker 680'at its intermediate idle level below the level of the' needles just raised.

`Atthe end of the same rack, which is relatively long, the lug 511a moves from beneath the lever 215 so that at its completion the said lever rests on the intermediate lug 511".

The position of the widening picker 680 is unchanged by virtue of the plunger 819 and spring 818 but the raising cam 25 is now in retracted position.

On succeeding strokes of the needle cyl-- takes place in the known way by means o the narrowing pickers 650. After this has continued to the desired point, a short rack of the pattern drum moves the low lug 511c beneath the lever 215 dropping the gravity rod 216 to a level such that the -plunger 818 allows the. lever 690^to drop,

raising the widening picker 680 to the level of.

the inactive needles. A widening of the segl ment results in the succeeding courses up to the width where narrowing began, thus completing the heel pocket.

At the beginning of the last forward stroke of the needle cylinder on Ythe widened segment, as the quadrant 75 is halted at the upper ,limit of its swing, the cam lug 119 on the gear 65 strikes the bell crank 118 and the pawl arm 116 of the latter engages the tooth 117 on the drum 102, the said tooth having just previously come within range of the pawl 116 by a rack of the main rack wheel 81, TheV result is that the clutch shipper drum 90 is turned and the clutch 33 is moved over into engagement with the high speed pinion. (Fig. 14.) The needle cylinder therefore is driven at high speed through the whole of the last forward stroke of to and fro knitting instead of through only a part of it as usual. This gives the advance of the needle cylinder with relation to the pattern chain. Thevlatter part of this short rack from the pawl 116 brings the low lug 511c from beneath the lever 215. The latter therefore drops to the drum surface, putting the rod 216 in its lowest position and the lowering cam 24 in place to engage the butts of the inactive needles and restore them to the active level so that they can knit on the first round and round course of the instep.

The balance of the usual rack of the main drum 120 which, were it not for the advance movement of the cylinder, would have shiftedthe clutch, occurs soon after the shift of the clutch. It effects the yarn change as usual and it also puts the cam lug 512b beneath the lever 862 causing the latter to swing and put the duplex lowering cam 27, 28 into active position. Since there are no needles at the inactive level the cam 28 does not act but the cam 27 lowers all of the long butt and intermediate butt needles to the ledge 350, as they come from beneath the stitch cam 360. In the instep this has no function as the needles are raised again to the normal low level by the sloping surface 351 of the cam ring ledge. It is desirable however, to use the rack coming off the heel to put this cam in so that it may be in position when the change into the toe is made. During the making of the instep no changes are made in the positions of the needle cams.

When the pattern chain dictates the shift of the clutch 33 which starts the reciprocating of the needle cylinder for the toe, the shift occurs as usual when the quadrant is half way down on a stroke that corresponds to a forward movement of the cylinder, the last revolution of round-and-round knitting. Inasmuch as the needle cylinder is one-half revolution ahead of the position it would 'have had were it not for the cylinder ad'- Vance, the half circle of needles that is in front of the throatplate when the shift is made is that whichv was inactive at the heel,

On the rack of the pattern drum 120 atathe change to reciprocatory knitting for the toe, the high lug 511d is moved under the lever 215 and causes the raising cam 25 to be inserted far enough to engage the short butts of the needles N. It is to be noted that the lug 511d for this purpose is higher than the lug 511* which inserted the cam 25 at the heel but did not put it in far enough to catch the short butts. The cam 25 does not raise the needles in the groups N2 to N for the reason that before reaching-this cam these needles were lowered by the cam 27 and they therefore pass up the slope 351 beneath the cam 25. The short butt needles N are not lowered by the cam 27 and meet the cam 25 at the level of the peak 352.

At the end of the same rack, the raising cam 25 is withdrawn by reason of the lug 511d moving beyond the lever 215. The lowering cam'27 is also withdrawn, and with it, of course, the cam 28, since the same rack moves the lug 512b beyond the lever 862, leaving 512c under the lever.

Thereafter as the to-and-fro knitting continues, the pickers 650 narrow the segment being formed by taking a needle from'alternate ends of the active groups N2 to N6 on each stroke, in the known way. This continues until only the group N6 remains.

It is now time to knit the gusset .G and the pattern drum is racked on the first forward stroke after completion of the narrowed segment. This brings into action cams 26 and 28 which render groups N5 and N1* active again. The first part of the pattern drum rack puts the lug 513'l beneath the lever thrust rod 463 and moves the lowering cam 26 into position toengage the long butt needles. The timing is such that this cam goes in o osite the active group N6 after the grou 4 has passed and in time to lower group 5 to the first course of the gusset G on one side of the toe.

To bring down the group of needles N* for the gusset on the other side of the toe the high lug 512d goes under the lever 862 on the same rack and uts the lowering cams 27-28 in part way. his time it is the cam 28 that is active and it lowers the group N4 only, as it is not put in far enough to catch the intermediate length of butts of groups N2 and N6. The end of the same rack moves the lug 512d from under the lever 862 so'that the cams 27-28 are withdrawn and also moves the lug 513 from under the rod 463 putting the cam 26 out of active position. On the return needle -of the previously active group N which just knit on a-backward stroke.

On the succeeding strokes, with the groups N* N5 and N knitting, narrowing takes place at the ends of the Nand N5 groups to form thetapered inner end H of the gusset. This.

1.5 narrowing 1s elfected by the pickers 650. After the-proper number of gusset courses have been knit, the active needles of the lgroups N4 and N" are raised .out of action by cams so that the bottom segment of the .toe may be knit as usual. To accomplish this a properly timed rack of the main drum puts the high lug 511t beneath the lever 215 to put the raising cam in to catch the long butts. For vthis purpose the lug 511t Lis slightly lower than the 'lug 511 but still higher than the intermediate lugs 511b and 511. This insertion of the cam 25 occurs on the last forward stroke of the gusset inthe gap opposite the needles Ns so that it raises the active needles of the group N5.. .The active needles of the group Nknit on this stroke along with the ever active N8 group, thus giving'a last gusset course on the side that had its initial gusset course knit second. The. active needles of the group N4 are raised by the cam 29 that is inserted on the same rackto catch these long butt needles by reason of the fact -that on this rack the ping the-latter to the drum face and thereby swinging the bracket 851 through the .intermediary of the bracket 854 and the pin 858 engaged by the jaws 857.

long cam lug'512 is brought' beneath the lever 862, and also brings the low lug 511g under the lever 215 so that the widening picker 680 ismade operative'and the raising cam is withdrawn. On "o the next stroke, which is a reverse one, widenling begins in the known way, thelnarrowing pickers 650 lifting one needle for every two lbrought down by the widening picker 680. The reciprocatory making` the bottom toe segment in the usual way, linking it to the gussets and, at the end', to the first part of the narrowed segment beyond `the gussets. When the widening is completed the lowering cam 24 is inserted as the lug 511.g is moved from under the lever 215 by a'rack of the drum. The lever then rests on the drum face. The cam 2li -lowers all of the inactiveneedles, that is to say the 65 low butt needles N', sothat the looping needles, means adapted to cause said pockets means for lowering as aV group the inactive lug512a goes from under the lever 862 drop- -needles of said two knitting then continues.y

normal relation to the knitting cams for .mi

l making the top 'of the next stocking.

1. An automatic'knitting machine com prising a circular series of inde ndent needles, means ada ted to cause ormation of seamless heel an toe pockets on said needles, in combination with means adapted to cause said pockets to be formed on opposite sides of said series of needles, and means adapted to render active as a group, after the narrowing for one of said pockets, needles which were. put out of action during said narrowing.

An automatic circular knitting ina.- 'a5 chine comprising a circular series ofindevpendent needles, said serieshaving a group of needles, means adapted to 'cause formation 'of seamless heel and toe pockets on said to be formed on o posite sides of said series o f needles, arrange etween two other groups, the butts of the needles of the two lattergroups differing in length from those of the first group, means forrec'iprocatin said series 'of needles about its axis, and evices for-gradually narrowing and widenin by acting on the needles ofthe two said lian 'n groups, together with `pattern controll needles of said two groups and raising the active. needles thereof as agroup without moving the other needles. i

3. An "automatic lcircular knittin -machine comprising a circular series-o independent needles, said series having a group of needles arranged between two other groups, the -butts of the needles of said twov The end of the same rack throws the cam4 45 29 out of action as the flanking groups differing in length' from those of the first group, means for recipro- '110 eating said series of needles about its'axis, and devices for gradually narrowing and widenin by acting on the needles of the two said flan ing grou s, together with patterncontrolled means or 'lowering the inactive oups and raising the active needles thereo all as groups without movingpsaid first group, and means adapted to knit seamless heel and toe pockets on opposite sides of the series .of needles.

"4. An automatic circular knitting machine comprising a circular series of independent needles, said series having a group of needles arranged between two other groups, the butts j of the needles of said two flanking groups 125 diiering in length from those of the first group, means for reciprocating said series of needles about its axis, and devices for gradually narrowin and widening by acting on the -needles of sai two flanking groups, together 130 sie with means adapted to knit seamless heel and toe ockets on opposite sides of the series of nee les, means adapted to render active as a. group, after the narrowing of one of said pockets, needles which were put out o' action during-said narrowing.

5. In an automatic knitting machine having a needle cylinder with a circular series of independent needles arranged in groups diil'erentiated by the lengths of the butts, narrowing and widening devices, a device for timing the operations of the machine, a driving mechanism for rotating the needle cylinder continuously or in reciprocating strokes to form a tubular fabric with pockets of narrowed and widened segments, and

means for shifting said cylinder from its normal relation to said timing device whereby one pocket is knit on short butt needles and anot er on longer butt needles, the combination of a cam for raising said longer butt needles to an inactive level during one pocket, a second cam to lift all active needles to an inactive lev`el forl the same pocket and a cam for directing the longer butt needles clear of said second raising cam.

6. An automatic circular knitting machine com rising a. circular series of Yndependent nee les, said series including a group of needles arranged between two other groups whose butts are longer than -those of the first mentioned group, means for reciprocating said series of needles about its axis, and devices for narrowing and widening the active series of needles by gradually rendering the needles of said two groups with long butts inactive and active, together with two pattern controlled cams each adapted to lower one of said two groups with long but'ts only, anda lowering cam adapted to be inserted to take down all needles which may be inactive.

7 A circular knitting machine having a series of independent needles, 'a longitudinally movable rod, a raising cam and a lowering cam controlled by extreme movements of said rod` in combination with a widening picker and means connecting said rod to said picker, adapted to cause the widening pickerl to be removed *from one level to another by an intermediate movement of said rod and to prevent movement of said widening picker upon extreme upward movement of said rod.

8. A circular knitting machine having a series of independent needles, a longitudinal- `ly movable rod. a raising cam and a lowering cam controlled by extreme movements of said rod, in combination with a widening picker, a stop and spring pressed means carried by said rod adapted to move said picker and take against said stop upon an intermediate upward movement of said rod and tpxpermit further upward movement ofsaid r 9: A circulariknitting machine having a .cams at different points on the two lowering circumference of the needle circle, each adapted to lower needles from the inactive upper level to the active level and another lowering cam adapted to lower needles from the active level to a still lower level, and a raising cam adapted to raise to an upper inactive level needles which were at the active level, to permit needles lowered by the last mentioned lowering cam to pass under it, in combination with lever means carrying said last mentioned lowering cam and one of the two first mentioned lowering cams with a space between said two cams permitting paage of needle butts, and pattern controlled means causing series ofindependent needles,

said lever means to be pressed toward the needles until they operate on the butts of some needles but allow others to pass.

10. A circular knitting machine comprising a series of independent needles, said series including agroup of needles arranged between two other groups whose butts are longer than those of the first mentioned group, means for reciprocating said series of needles about its axis, and devices for narrowing and widening the active series of needles by gradually rendering the needles of said two groups Vwith long butts inactive and active, together with two pattern-controlled cams each adapted to lower one of said two groups only, the location and time of insertion of said cams being such that the two groupscbegin to knit on movements in opposite directions.

1l. An automatic knitting machine comprising a circular seriesof independent needles having groups of needles with butts of different lengths, devices 'for gradually narv rowing and widening by acting on the butts of said needles and means operating directly upon the needle butts to raise and lower groups of needles with different butt lengths as units for the purpose of producing gussets between the narrowlng and widening, in combination with knitting of the seamless heel and toe pockets on opposite sides of the series'of needles.

12. A circular knitting machine having a series of independent needles, means adapted to cause formation of a seamless pocket on said needles, said series of needles having groups differentiated from adjacent needles by the length of the butts and spaced from the points corresponding to the corners of the pocket, in combination with means acting directly on the needle butts to raise and lower said differentiated groups of needles as groups for the purpose of producing a gusset in the pocket spaced from the corners of the pocket.

13. In a circular knitting machine, a series of independent needles, the needles on one side of the median line having butts longer than those on the other, and the long butt means adapted to. cause the side having two groups of needles diferen-- -tated from adjacent needles'by the length- 'of the butts and s aced' from the median line of said circle o needles, in combination with means' actino directly on the needle butts to lower and raise said two diil'erentiated groups of needles as units for the pur-- pose of producing a gusset spaced frpm the v corner of the toe pocket between the narrowed andwi-dened se Y ents thereof. l

" of independent needles having groups with butt-s of` different len hs including two -groups whose'butts are onger than a ofroup flanked by them, said flanking groupslbeing spaced from the median 4line ofsaid circle of needles and the butts of all three groups 14. In a circu ar knitting machine, a circle` Z pocket in combination with means acting directly on the needle butts to return said differentiated. groups to the knittin vlevel for the knitting of a gusset in thepoc et.

In testimonywhereof we have signed our names to thisv specification.

'. ALBERT E. PAGE.

FRANK R. PAGE.

being longer than those on the other side of theV needles' on one side of the median line having butts longer than those on the other side, said long butt side including a group. arranged between two other grou whose butts are longer than those of the rst men# A' tioned group, said `flanking groups being spaced from the median line by groups whose butts are shorter than said tlankinggroup butts, means for reciprocating saidseriesof needles about its axis and devices for narrowing and wideningon the long butt side of the median line by gradually rendering needles active and inactive, in combination with means adapted to raise and lower said two 'Rankin groups of needles 'as units during themakmg of the pocket for the purpose v of producing a gusset between the narrowed and widened segments of the pocket.

16. A circular' knitting machine having a series of .independent needles with butts of diierent lengt-hs, means to cause formation "series of needles having groups diil'e'rentiated from adjacent groups byv the'length of the butts, in combination with means acting directly on ythe butts ofsaid differentiated groups of needles only., to raise 'and lower said groups for the purpose of producing a of a seamless pocket on said needles, said gusset between the narrowed and widened segments of the pocket.

17. A circular knitting'machine having a. series of independent needles, means adapted to cause formation of a seamless pocket on said needles, 'v said series of needles having groups differentiated from ad'acent needles by the length of. the butts an spaced from o5 points corresponding to the' corners ofthe CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,841,205. Granted January l2, 1932, to

ALBERT E. PACEET AL.

It is herebyvcertified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 9, line 87, claim 2, beginning with the word "said" strike out all to and including the word "groups" and comma in line 92, and insert instead the words and comma means adapted to cause formation of seamless heel and toe pockets on said needles, means adapted to cause said pockets to be formed on opposite sides of -said series of needles, said series having a group of needles arranged between two other groups,; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of May, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) v Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

